Tara Johnson doesn't disappoint the Flint Monarchs in her first start of the season against the Columbus Hidden Gems

View full sizeSean Ryan | The Flint JournalForward Tara Johnson goes up for a lay up during Saturday, July 16 Breast Cancer awareness game at the Cage Field House in Swartz Creek. The Monarchs beat the Columbus Hidden Gems 110-74.

SWARTZ CREEK — Tara Johnson waited for her big break all season long with the Flint Monarchs.

The former Class C All-Stater from Flint Hamady didn’t start in any of the Monarchs’ previous 11 games this year.

This would change in Flint’s last regular season home affair.

Johnson heard her name called in the starting lineup for the first time in the organization’s inaugural “Breast Cancer Awareness Game.”

She responded with 12 points and six rebounds as the Monarchs dusted off the Columbus Hidden Gems 110-74 at the Cage Field House on Saturday evening.

“I was excited and the only thing on my mind was getting the W,” said Johnson, who recently capped off her college basketball career at Eastern Michigan after the 2009-2010 season.

“Being able to bust the clock like this is going to really get us prepared to go into regionals next week and we know that we’re the team with the target on our back,” she added.

Flint will host the WBCBL’s Nort East Regional Tournament next weekend.

The games will start on Saturday, July 23 at the Cage Field House at noon.

The Monarchs are the top-seed in their region and the sixth-ranked team in the league. Overall, they ended the regular season with a 9-3 record.

View full sizeSean Ryan | The Flint JournalGuard Latisha Luckett, of the Flint Monarchs, powers past a defender during Saturday, July 16 Breast Cancer awareness game at the Cage Field House in Swartz Creek. The Monarchs beat the Columbus Hidden Gems 110-74.

Flint didn’t lose a game on their home floor while beating teams by an average margin of 26.2 points per showing.

Monarchs head coach Deonta McChester said Johnson had been the team’s best player across-the-board for the past three weeks.

The group was limited to workouts and scrimmages — since no games were scheduled and their last match was forfeited — but he was impressed with Johnson’s intensity.

“She’s just been the TJ that I recruited her to be,” McChester said of Johnson. “I just thought the way that she had been playing and preparing that she deserved that starting role.”

Latisha Luckett poured in a season and team-high 19 points.

The 5-foot-7, Detroit native was eager to return to the court after the three-week breather.

“I’m mad we didn’t play last week and I’ve been ready to play,” said Luckett. “We’ve been off for too long and I was in the gym and staying focused and keeping my mind to where nothing really bothers me.”

Every player except for one chipped in at least a single point for the Monarchs. Eight Monarchs scored in double figures.

Nan Moore tallied 14 points and six rebounds for Flint. Anita Stamps and Lauren Crockett both racked up 10 points, Jasmine McCall finished with 12 points and a pair of dimes, and Natasha Morris added 12 points to go along with three steals plus three boards.

Columbus was led by Catherine Cain who erupted for 37 points in the loss.

Janicia Anderson also reached 18 points as the duo scored over 70 percent of the Hidden Gems’ points.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment for Catherine to pull that off and I think she did all she could do,” said Lucius Jones, Columbus’ head coach.

In their three meetings this year, Flint finished with the heads-up as they beat Columbus twice.